Monthly Archives: February 2011

With all the bad news getting all the attention, I’m glad to give some attention to good news. As “the inclusionist,” it’s my job to report and comment on those events, policies, and systems that promote inclusion and those that are not.

I’m glad to bring you some good news that may be somewhat controversial in certain circles of anti-gays and LGBT people as well.

Facebook has now added two more categories for relationship status- domestic partnerships and civil union (it already includes options like single and “its complicated)Of particular interest to me is the fact that these categories are only in countries that do not allow same sex marriage.

With the new designations, “Facebook sent a clear message in support of gay and lesbian couples to users across the globe,” said Jarrett Barrios, president the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.“When millions of Facebook users see these relationship status options, they gain a greater understanding of the legal inequalities faced by loving and committed same-sex couples in so many states today,” Barrios said in statement e-mailed to The ChronicleSome LGBT people aren’t happy because they think that it legitimizes the argument that LGBT people should be satisfied with domestic partnerships, and civil unions instead of marriage. I don’t see the logic in this- the reality is that same sex marriage is not legal at the federal level in the US, and in most states, so there are many LGBT people in civil unions and domestic partnerships. Why shouldn’t these relationships be recognized? Would the disgruntled people rather have those distinctions excluded, and have LGBT relationships totally ignored so they can be totally ignored, and stay invisible, or would they like a category that says- in a relationship waiting to get married when it’s legal?

I think that if anything these two categories will demonstrate and bring to people’s consciousness the disparity and inequities in the US and other parts of the world, and also remind people that LGBT people have committed relationships, and counteract the wacko thinking that LGBT people are incapable of real relationships and run around with millions of sexual partners.